Structuralism and Functionalism
William Wundt: German: Founded the field
of experimental psychology-structuralism.
Consciousness (thinking) is objective
sensations and subjective feelings. The
brain combines these elements.
William James: American Harvard Professor: Decade after
Wundt, James concluded conscious thought is not as
simple. Consciousness is a continuous stream.
Wrote: The Principles of Psychology. Founded the school
of Functionalism.
Functionalism proposes that behaviors are learned and
kept because they are successful. Mental processes
help people adapt to their environment.
History of Psychology
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Socrates: “Know Thyself”: Knowing who we are comes
from examining and questioning our thoughts and
feelings. Why do I think or act a certain way.
Introspection: Looking inward or within to find answers.
Aristotle: student of Plato. Introduced associationism.
Associationism: theory that man’s experiences are a
reminder of experiences in the past. Man associates
experiences with past memory. Experiences
connect with one another and predicts how one acts
in situations.
Aristotle
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Wrote Peri Psyches ( about the mind ).Man
seeks pleasure not pain. Explored:
sensations,perceptions, intelligence, thought,
need and motives, feelings, emotions, and
memory.
Hippocrates: Greek Physician behavioral
problems are caused by abnormalities in the
brain. Biological factors can affect thought.
Early Psychologists of the 20th century
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John B. Watson: Greenville graduate of Furman. Questioned
functionalism. Consciousness is private. Psychology needs to be
observable and measureable. Behaviorist.
B.F. Skinner: Skinner expanded behaviorist theory, added the
concept of reinforcement.
The Gestalt Theory: German/ Max Werthheimer and Wolfgang
Kohler. Thought processes work as whole not in parts. The mind is
actively learning and problem solving. Behavior is learned and
adaptive.
Sigmund Freud: Austrian/ Founded School of Psychology.
Emphasized importance of internal and unconsciousness motives
and thoughts in determining or predicting behavior. Freud studied
human behavior by consulting with patients. People are good but
have basic impulsive feelings, thoughts, and desires. Conflict arises
when people cannot handle those desires. Once insight into internal
conflict is realized, people can express and handle their behavior.
Fast Forward to Seven Contemporary
Perspectives.
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Biological
Evolutionary
Cognitive
Humanistic
Psychoanalytic
Learning
Sociocultural
Biological
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Emphasizes biology on behavior.
Use PET and CAT scans to observe changes
in brain activity.
Psychologists are interested in the influence
of hormones and genes in behavior.
Evolutionary
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Focus on the evolution of man.
Influenced by Charles Darwin
Behaviors are adapted for survival
Inherited traits can predict how and why
people act in a certain way.
Cognitive
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Study mental processes to determine behaviors.
Roots in Gestalt Psychology, structuralism and
functionalism.
The mind is like a computer. We process, retrieve,
recall, and store information, memories, and solve
problems.
People’s behavior is influenced by values,
perceptions. Strategies for solving problems is the
software; the brain is the hardware
Humanistic
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Humans have need for self-fulfillment and
ability to make choices.
Our consciousness shapes our personality.
Personal experiences shape our perceptions.
Man can change and choose behavior.
Inner experiences are unsuited for scientific
observation and measurement.
Psychoanalytic
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Stresses the influences of unconscious
thoughts, and experiences on behavior.
Sigmund Freud’s philosophy.
Man processes early childhood experiences
as a reference for behaviors
Learning
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Close to the behaviorist theory.
People act the way they do because of
learning histories. Experiences not
conscious thought influence behavior.
Environmental (nurture) influences help
shape a person’s personality.
Repetition and reinforcement help us learn.
Social-learning theory: people can change
their environment or create new ones.
Sociocultural
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Studies the influences of ethnicity, gender,
cultures, and socio-economic factors into
account.
Study how ethnicity affects intelligence test
scores,
Sociocultural, biological, and psychological
factors create individual differences.